The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1887-02-26
arriving troops.

arriving troops.
"But don't pass before the vent hole!'
Pichon shouted, as the men appeared;
and Don't pass before the vent bolei'
solemnly repeated the soldiers to those
behind. Soon the whole troop was visi-
BILE to the young woman, hundred
strong, each man carrying in his belt 200
cartridges, and led by Lavigne himself.
Placing his men in a line around the
house, with a liberal space before the hole
leading to the cellar, the major COM
mandant valiantly entered the house to
inform himself as to the strength and at
titude of the enemy, now SO quiet that it
seemed as if they had flown. Pounding
heavily upon the door above the pris-
oners' heads he called aloud: I'M.
Oficer-M. Prussian Officer-I wish to
speak to you." The German did not
reply. /" 'Tis funny" said Lavigne to
himself, Every funny pounding again
and receiving no response. For twenty
minutes more he continued to call upon
them-to knock and pound and summon
them to surrender, but without the slight
est sign from the enemy of either consent
or hostility.
In the meantime the soldiers cooled
their heels in the SNOW outside, faithfully
guarding the vent hole, slapping their
hands to keep them from freezing, and
with childish but constantly increasing
desire to cross before it simply because
forbidden to do it.
Suddenly one of them, bolder than the
rest, and who ran like deer, made the
attempt. 1t was successful; the impris-
oned Prussians seemed as if dead. En-
boldened by their comrade, another and
another followed in his steps. 1t had
become a game, or race for life in
which the devil could take the hindmost.
They had lighted tremendous fire to
keep themselves from freezing, and the
ruddy glare of the flame fell full upon
the laughing faces of those prankish
guards as they voyaged rapidly from left
to right and from right to left again. All
at once some one called out: "Matheson,
it is now your turn; come, hurry, my
boy; hurry up!''
Now, / must tell you that Matheson
was the baker of other, an enormously
fat man, whose inflated stomach, big as
an ordinary balloon, furnished unending
merriment for his frolicsome comrades.
Iio ii5siuslI,l 1.'l =. ulw ouI " .l1 ',
a0' oa' .ney J5ei1u aal lleu IN, -;4i AZ
little mincing steps that shook his paunch
like jelly, across the intervening space.
The whole detachment laughed until
III nj oiieu, Slo's - a.u :, sls .,.n- -.
words.
lail way acloSS .lie open space q laige
Leu naille ual.eu llonl 'l,e veas ilole' Q
s,alp detonation lolo"su, ana tlle pig
isesnel DaAeI Aen upon HiS NOSE WIN d
pan "a nus tnign, as no one Iusieo 70
stlccor nlm ne dragged nllnseii on nus
nalius s.ni KNEES .iie.i out oA leach u llie
Dails, tnen quletiy Iainteu away, more
from lIagng tnan pam q tne wound Ior
Ihe Dah mao scarceiy more tnan plougned
the nesn pelow tile tnlgh bone. AT tne
soalna q ilstisiles siiet siie coill-
lnanaant rusheu from lne mousse.
1lnsraltnsl ne roared, Gnsmiths,
come forWardl
man, roAoWed Dy Two otners,
stepped nom tne ranks ana stood peIore
the comnandant. iaKe tne guttefs
from the i.Juse, SAID ne, "and orlng
them mere.
A few moments later twenty metres
OF water pipe Lay at bus feet. Then,
with thousand precautions, hole was
chopped IN the corner OF the trap door,
the end OF the pipe inserted and the
other end fastened to the spout OF the
pump.
''Ihe russians can stand a great
deal, cried M. Lavlgne with beamng
smile, ''bnt 1t remains to be seen II they
can stand the drink we shall give them.
Pump, my boys, pump with will, and
with Wild hurrah the men oDeyed.
Soon a siiyery stream OF water flowed
along the tuplng ana 1eH 70 tne cellar De-
low with the murmurlng OF summer
cascade. Hour aiter hour ran Dy, and
stlll the water fell, and stlll the enemy
neld the ground, thougn every now ana
then stamping OF feet ana curses loud
and deep came from the depths below.
About . O'Clock IN the morning voice
suddenly came from the cellar calling for
the commandant' Il vlsh 10 speak mt
nun at vonce. DO you su[renoer1 r.
6hOuIed Lavlgne, Denulhg 10 tne noor. II